Eva Bartlett speaks with journalist Vladimir Rodzianko on the detention of Kirill Vyshinsky by Ukraine since May 2018. Ukrainian authorities accuse Vyshinsky of "treason" and have delayed his trials twice.

"Kirill Vyshinsky, a Ukrainian-Russian journalist, has been held captive in Ukraine for over 180 days, on unfounded charges of ‘treason,’ which human rights groups are calling, politically motivated, and faces up to 15 years in prison.

The case of Russian-Ukranian journalist, Kirill Vyshinsky, imprisoned without fair trail in Ukraine since mid-May is yet another in a long list of attacks on journalists by NATO-aligned countries that never make the headlines.

On May 15, 2018, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) carried out a massive operation against journalists, having forcefully searched the Ukrainian-based RIA Novosti's central office in Kiev, including its correspondents' homes, and arrest of it's editor-in-chief, Kirill Vyshinsky.

As of November 1, the Kherson city court has extended the arrest of Kirill until December 28, without a legitimate trial and without right to bail."

The journalist, if finally tried, could face up to 15 years in prison, although he was fulfilling his role as a journalist. While in prison, his health has deteriorated to the point that his lawyer had to request urgent medical treatment, Sputnik reported.

Yet, aside from the rather bland entry on the Reporters Without Borders (RWB) website, expressing "worry" for Vyshinsky, only Russian media seem to be reporting on the prolonged and illegal detention of a journalist. Just imagine the selective outrage corporate media would express in chorus were the journalist imprisoned in Russia. The RWB entry did, at least, note:

"The authorities must either precisely explain how the alleged actions constituted high treason or release Kirill Vyshinsky without delay."

Supporters of Vyshinsky are asking for a fair trial and fair media coverage.

To learn more, I spoke with American journalist Vladimir Rodzianko, the author of the petition and co-administrator of a Facebook group in support of Kirill Vyshinsky.

Reader Comments

Russia should promptly try the Ukrainian sailors who entered Russian waters without authorization, sentence them to death for espionage, then exchange them for all the Russian journalists held by Ukraine on false pretenses.